Post Traumatic Growth

At my appointment earlier today, my therapist told me that he thinks I have something called post traumatic growth. He was reading about it lately and thought of me. It seems like the gist of it is that a person is able to grow after experiencing trauma. They become stronger, are more appreciative of their life, have deeper relationships, etc. I was really flattered that he thought that!

(Before I go on, keep in mind that I am not a psychologist, so nearly all the stuff I found here is from good old Google).

The people who coined the term define it as “positive change experienced as a result of the struggle with a major life crisis or a traumatic event.” People with PTG will still suffer, but they are able to thrive in some ways despite it. In fact, the can even have a higher quality of life than they did before they experienced trauma. This growth can occur in five areas:

They see new opportunities.

Their relationships change. They may get closer with specific people and become more empathetic.

They have an increased sense of their own strength.

They may have a greater appreciation for life.

They may experience spiritual growth.

I’d go into the ways I’ve grown post sexual-assault, but I feel like that’d be redundant since this this post already covers the main ways I’ve changed.

Important Definitions

- Sexual assault: any unwanted/non-consensual sexual activity. More information here.
- Rape: Sexual assault involving penetration.
- Consent: affirmative, sober, voluntary, unambiguous, verbal permission to engage in a specific sexual activity at a certain time. It can be withdrawn at any time and cannot be assumed under any circumstances. More information here.
- Trigger: anything that reminds a person of a traumatic memory in someone who has experienced trauma, often related to the five senses. They can cause flashbacks, anxiety, feeling disconnected, anger, feeling defensive, tenseness, feeling negative thoughts, etc. More information here.
- Rape Culture: a culture in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality. Examples here.